The invention relates to a sealing profile for sealing tunnel segments. More particularly it relates to a rubber or rubber-like material sealing profile for sealing tunnel segments having recesses along their peripheries.
Such sealing profiles are known according to DE-PS No. 2833 345, DE-GM (Petty Patent) No. 85 02 036, and DE-GM (Petty Patent) No. 85 21 068. These profiles have been successfully used in tunnel construction using tunnel segments or tubings made of concrete, cast iron or steel. The profile has to meet the following important requirements:
(1) A favorable distribution of forces and stresses within the profile upon compression between the segments;
(2) Reliable and secure adhesion or glueing of the profiles within the recesses of the segments;
(3) Maximized or largest possible areas of contact; and
(4) Resistance to swelling, weathering, and chemicals.
The force path behavior or force and stress distribution within the profile must satisfy special requirements depending on the depth, width, and spacing of the segments in the unloaded or loaded (compressed) state, as well as on the thickness of the profiles. Until now, the profile dimensions were normally as shown below in column A:
______________________________________ A (mm) B (mm) (Conventional (Example of alterna- profile) tive profile) ______________________________________ Recess width 33 25 (base side of profile) Recess depth 10 10 Spacing of the segments 9 13 (unloaded state) Spacing of the segments 0-4 0-10 (loaded state) Profile height 14.5 16.5 ______________________________________
If other dimensions e.g., those shown in column B are required, (for example, a narrower width of the recess, larger profile height, and larger spacing of the segments in the unloaded or loaded state as compared to the dimensions shown in Column A), it might initially be assumed that such a sealing profile could simply be dimensioned accordingly, without substantially changing the profile shape, while still retaining the original performance characteristics. However, practice has shown that it is not possible to accomplish such a change in sealing profile dimensions while retaining an optimal force-path behavior or internal force and stress distribution, without also substantially changing the shape of the profile. Therefore, to successfully achieve the desired change in dimensions without compromising profile effectiveness, a change in the profile shape has previously been required.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a sealing profile, for segments of tunnel tubes, which has a favorable force and stress distribution within the profile material, on compression of the tunnel segments, irrespective of the profile dimensions required to fit particular tunnel segment recesses, and which has about the same geometric shape as existing profiles.